The molding of foodstuffs into shaped foods, particularly as practiced in the home, has commonly involved the use of trays or pans formed to provide the desired final shape, whether the molded food be chocolates or similar confectioneries, cakes, muffins, cupcakes, gelatins, and the like. While generally referred to as baking trays or pans, it will be appreciated that, depending upon the nature of the food to be formed, no actual xe2x80x9cbakingxe2x80x9d may be involved. For example, only a xe2x80x9ccoolingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cwaitingxe2x80x9d period may be required, as for example in the use of gelatin molds.
Such molds are usually rigid although molds of an elastomeric silicone material, incorporating a degree of flexibility, are also known.
Known food molds are, other than for variations in shape, of a basically simple construction having a fixed size molding chamber or chambers which can be used to repeatedly produce foods which in external appearance duplicate each other. If variety in shape is desired, one must have access to a plurality of separate differently shaped molds or mold trays. Other than by the use of different molds, no practical provision for variety in shape has heretofore been available.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide for the molding of foodstuffs into more than one configuration or shape without the necessity of utilizing multiple molds or, in other words, a different mold for each shape.
In furtherance thereof, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a food mold which incorporates, in one or more mold pockets, an integral adjustable component which allows for a variation in the mold shape, and hence in the shape of the formed food without requiring use of a separate mold.
It is also of significance that the food mold be of a unitary construction, preferably of a material having some elastomeric properties, such as an appropriate silicone, wherein the mold pocket or pockets are integrally formed and require no additional components, inserts, or the like, to achieve the desired variation in the shape of the food products formed.
In achieving the objects of the invention, each or selected ones of the food molding pockets into which the basic foodstuffs are to be introduced, normally by pouring, includes, remote from the open end thereof, an inner chamber section which is slightly smaller in transverse cross section than an aligned chamber section outward thereof. The smaller inner section is specifically formed to allow for a selective inward inverting into the larger outer section. This is done utilizing a flexible interconnection between the sections which is preferably formed by a slight weakness at the juncture between the integrally joined walls of the inner and outer sections.
Upon inverting of this inner section, there is both a reduction in the receiving volume of the chamber and the formation of a corresponding recess in the outer end of the formed food which appears when the food is removed from the mold. As such, the shape and appearance of this food product will be distinctly different from that of a food product formed by the mold with the inner portion or section thereof fully extended, that is not inverted.
Further objects, advantages and goals of the invention, and variations within the basic concepts of the invention will be noted as the details of the invention are more fully hereinafter described.